Today marks the one-year anniversary of the Istanbul Convention’s openness to signing.
The Istanbul Convention is a global commitment aiming to reduce violence against women and girls. It is especially important for women and girls with disabilities, who are two to five times more likely than other women and girls to experience violence. Conventions will improve women’s lives across Europe, especially those with disabilities, demonstrating the EU’s strong commitment to eradicating violence against women.
Ratification will aid in the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). All EU member states have accepted those accords, and the EU has done the same with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The Convention recognizes the kinds of abuse experienced by women and girls with disabilities (for example, forced sterilization) and provides measures to resist violence and help victims with disabilities. You can find more information on the Convention and how to use it on our dedicated webpage.
The Convention following signature
- The convention has been ratified by 36 nations in Europe.
- 12 European countries and the European Union have not ratified the Convention.
- Turkey has withdrew from the convention, which implies it has opted not to be a state party any more.
- Women’s and girls with disabilities organizations have reported to the Group of Experts in Charge of Monitoring the National Convention Against violence towards Women and Girls with Disabilities .
- Report from Belgian Disability Forum (in French)
- Report from Italian Disability Forum
- Report from women’s coalition from Finland, including women with disabilities
5 reasons why the EU should ratify the Istanbul Convention
EDF calls on the European Union (EU) and its countries to protect all women and girls with disabilities from violence and abuse, including forced sterilization, by ratifying the Istanbul Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence.
- Violence against women affects over 250 million European women and girls, having physical and mental consequences in the present and also in the future.
- Women with disabilities are between 2 and 5 times more likely than women without disabilities to suffer violence. They are subjected to sterilization and abortions against their will, especially when they are segregated in institutions.
- For women and girls with disabilities, it is more difficult to have access to justice, support, and protection services due to legal and other types of barriers. For example, when they go to institutions, it becomes impossible to access those services.
- Implementing the Istanbul Conventions will benefit women’s lives in Europe, including the ones that have disabilities, showing the EU’s strong commitment to ending women’s violence.
- Ratification will contribute to the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). In those agreements, all EU states have ratified them, and in the UNCRPD, the EU has done the same.